Plate for soles and heels of shoes.



No 811,605. PATENTED FEB. 6, 1906.

M. M. WEST. PLATE FOR SOLES AND HEELS 0P SHOES.

APPLIOAETION FILED OUT. 19,1904.

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WITNESSES.

rrisn srariss rarisrrr orrrbia MANSFTELD M. WEST, OF C-lrl lll lfhdllll, @lllt).

It'd-811,605.

ltpecitlcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. ti, lit-EH06.

Application filed October 19. 1904. filcrial No. 229,080.

. drawings.

My invention relates to plates for the heels and soles of shoes, and has for its object the construction of a plate of this character that may be readily applied to the heel or sole of the shoe, that when so a plied will not cut the edge of the sole or heel, that when so applied the prongs by which the plate is so cured will be so positioned as to prevent them from becoming detached from the plate through the wear on the sameand from being interfered with by the row of nails adjacent the edge of the heel, that for a given length at plate will provide a maximum wearingeurface adjacent the edge ol the heel or sole, and that may be constructed with comparatively small Waste of material.

The invention is embodied in the drawings hereto annexed, wherein- Figure 1 represents a bottom plan view of the heel ol' a shoe, showing my plate applied thereto.

plate. Fig. 3 represents a use H tlonal view of said plate, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.; and Fig. l.- reprcsents'a plurality of said plates as they are stamped out from a sheet-metal plate before the prongs are bent into position for insertion into the heel or sole of the shoe.

Describing the parts by reference-unmet als, 1 represents a plate constructed in ac cordance with my invention, said plate being of sheet-steel, generally triangular in shape, and having a rounded outer edge 2, corresponding in contour to the part to which it is applied, in this case the edge of the heel ad-- jacent the rear central portion thereof. This curved edge 2 extends along the edge of the heel or sole a sufficient distance to rotect that portion of the same which is so. jected to the most wear, the lateral ends of the plate being curved in abruptly at 3 to form the shou ders or projections 4. These shoulders or projections are oi. sufiicient width to bring the inner surfaces well "Within the row of nails which is generally applied to the outer edge of the heel, and each inner edge has depending therefrom the prong 5, said prong being bent at substantially right angles to the plane oil the plate, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The abrupt curvature at the points where the shoulders are termed pro vides a wearin r portion tor the plate which is substantially t e full length of the sarne.

' In order to allord a sullicient bearing for the plate and to retain the same in place, a

central triangular portion ii is provided, said portion extending inwardly from the projections or shoulders at toward the heel and being provided with a prong 7 at the inner end thereof. llhould the row of nails ordinarily provided in the heel be inset larther than is customary from the outer edge ol the heel or should nails additional to the ordinary row of nails be present, the location of the prongs permits of convenient inspection o'l all the prongs and enables the operator to apply the plape in such manner as to avoid all such pal s.

The plate may be provided with a row of projections 8 parallel with the edge ol the sole or heel, said projections being prelerably formed by striking up the metal, as shown in Fig. 3. These projections talrc the initial wear on the plate, prevent slipping, and protect the extreme edge 2 for a considerable time. This edge, as shown in Fig. 3, is curved or deflected downwardly from the region of the projections 3 to the extreme outer edge thereof. This curving or deflecting ol the plate adjacent the edge enables it to conform to the outer edge oi a worn heel or solo. in applying the plate to an unworn heel or sole the outer edge will be countersunk in such heel or sole, thereby assisting to secure the plate rigidly in place. The outer portion being curved or dellectedlrorn the plane of the main bearing-surface of the plate greatly prolongs the life of the plate, as the in act on the heel in walking is distributed a ong such curved or deflected surface to the edge of the plate instead of being received by the extreme edge of the plate, as is the case in other constructions with which I am familiar. In service the projections 8 are first worn down, then the curved or deflected ortion receives the wear, the result being t iat the plates Wear longer than any other plate with which I am familiar.

Owing to the peculiar sha e of the plates as stamped out, there is very ittle loss of material in so stamping them from the stock. In Fig. 4 l have indicated the manner in which these plates are stamped out from the IOU stock, exaggerating the distances between the plates for clearness of illustration.

As will appear from the foregoing description, it will be apparent that I have produced a plate which may be readily applied to the heel or sole of a shoe and that by the peculiar location of the prongs the cutting of the edge of the heel or sole is prevented. The prongs may be readily driven into the heel without hindrance by the row of nails usually provided in said heel. By the location of the prongs the part of the plate immediately thereabove is rotected from wearing through, thereby enab ing the plate to be retained in place until the outer portion of the same is completely worn out. Moreover, the provision of the inward extension 6 and the shoulders 4 gives a stable support for the plate, preventing the same from being easily disengaged from the heel or sole. At the same time the shape of the extensions or shoulders 3 gives with a plate of small area along Wearing-surface at the place where such surface is pleepssar-y, adjacent the edge of the sole or While I have described in invention in detail, it is obvious that such etails may be departed from more or less without avoiding the spirit of my invention, and consequentl I do not pro ose to be limited to such detai 8 except as t e may be embodied in the claims or ren ered necessary by the prior stated the art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isr 1. A plate for heels and soles of shoes, said plate comprising an elongated continuous outer edge portion curved to corres 0nd to the contour of the heel or sole to w 'ch the plate is to be applied, a rounded-shoulder or extension at each end of such outer portion, said shoulder extending inwardly a sufficient distance to clear the row of nails adjacent the edge of the heel or sole and having at the inner edge thereof a prong, and a portion intermediate of said shoulders and extending inwardlya greater distance than said shoulders and having at the inner extremity thereof a prong, substantially as specified.

2. A sheet-metal plate for heels and soles of shoes, said plate comprising a continuous curved outer portion corresponding in contour to the edge of the heel or sole to which the plate is to be applied, said plate being curved or deflected at the outer edge thereof from the plane of the main bearing-surface and being provided with a rounded shoulder at each end thereof pro'ecting inwardly and provided with a prong or securing the same to the heel or sole, substantially as specified.

3. A plate for heels and soles of shoes, said plate comprising a continuous curved portion corresponding in contour to-the edge of the heel or sole to which the plate is to be applied and having adjacent each end thereof a prong set in from the outer edge of the plate and a row of projections arallel with the outer curved edge of the pl the said prongs and said outer edge, the'plate being curved or deflected from the plane of the main bearing-surface, such curve or deflection extending from said row ofprojections to the outer edge of the plate, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the'presence of two witnesses.

MANSFIELD M. WEST.

Witnesses:

C. MOELROY, J. B. HULL.

ate and between 

